Homecoming
by duchessofbrighton
Summary: Epilogue to Step Forward, or just some lovely comforting smut, featuring our favourite couples: Tom/Sasha, Mike/Rachel, Tex/Nina(OC), and a hint of what's to come for Kat. If you've read any of the Step stories, you'll know what to expect; if not, try it, you might like it!
1. Slattery

_Author's note: So this is a three part story that acts as an epilogue to Step Forward. If you haven't read that story, you could still read this as some comforting smut…_

 _I was planning to wait to publish until I had finished all three parts (the Slatterys, the Nolans, the Chandlers), but I'm not sure how long that will take, this chapter was ready to go, and it's my birthday so I'll post if I want to! Hope you enjoy._

 **One - Slattery**

The house was silent when Mike quietly unlocked the front door and held it open for Rachel to pass in front of him into their home. He watched her shoulders start to relax as she moved down the hallway, her fingers trailing along the wall, and after securely locking up again, he followed her. Glancing into the living room as he passed, he couldn't help smiling slightly at the sight of his adult daughter curled up on the couch, sound asleep and looking remarkably like she had as a small child. Lissy stirred slightly and opened her eyes, blinking up at him in the half light, but he shook his head and smiled and she rolled over and went back to sleep.

Rachel was standing in the doorway of their son's room, watching him move about in his sleep, and as Mike placed a hand on her shoulder she clutched it.

"When I thought they were going to kill me, this was all I could think about." She said softly. "That I would never be at home with my family again." She paused, "I trusted Ruth, and..."

She trailed off and he wrapped his arms around her.

"It's okay, sweetheart."

"Remember Quincy?" She asked, and he held her a little tighter. "It felt the same, that punch in the stomach."

"You didn't do anything wrong." He murmured, "Then or now. You were the one who told me we have to trust people."

"I know." She turned in his arms. "Can we go to bed?"

"Sure." He followed her into their bedroom, and was slightly surprised when she shut and locked the door behind them.

She turned to him, swiftly lifting her shirt over her head, her eyes full of something that made him swallow. "Mike, I need-"

She didn't have to finish the sentence as he crushed her in his arms, finding her mouth with his and kissing her fiercely as she responded with a moan, her hands immediately moving to his belt.

The first time they'd ever slept together, she'd come to him like this, as comfort and affirmation after a terrifying day and a threat to their lives. Fucking in the face of death, he'd called it then, and he felt it now as he lifted Rachel onto the bed, tearing at her clothes as she yanked and pulled at his.

One of the things Mike had been looking forward to about having her home was the thought of slowly reacquainting himself with her body, teasing and exploring her, making her come before he even got inside her; but there was no time for that now. Instead, as soon as they were naked he held her thighs apart and plunged into her, and she cried out with satisfaction, clenching around him.

"Tell me what you need," He panted, his fingers gripping her hips, ensuring he could thrust deep every time.

"This," She moaned, looking up at him, "This, fast and hard and... oh!" She trembled head to toe as he stroked his thumb over her clit, throwing her head back.

"You're here with me," He found himself affirming. "Home, safe, with me..."

She arched and shouted out and the feel of her squeezing around him sent him right over the edge with her, groaning her name as he pulsed inside her.

Rachel let out a shuddering breath, and he kissed her slowly, his fingers stroking her cheek.

"That what you needed?" As he rolled off her and onto his back, she cuddled in close to his side.

"Mmm hmm. Just what the doctor ordered."

He chuckled slightly and pulled her closer still, kissing her hair. "I missed you right here."

"I missed being here." She smiled. "There is something still missing though..." She looked up at him beseechingly, and he sighed in mock disapproval before gently untangling himself from their embrace and pulling on his boxers before leaving the room, returning a few minutes later with their sleeping son in his arms.

"We're not supposed to encourage this." He reminded her as she pulled on his t-shirt to cover her nakedness, but as he tucked Jamie into bed between them, he couldn't help smiling, especially when their son half opened his eyes.

"Mommy?" He rolled towards Rachel without really waking up, and she cuddled him close.

"Mommy's home now." Mike murmured, "Go back to sleep, little man."

"You don't really mind, do you?" Rachel whispered, and he shook his head, wrapping his arms around them both.

"No, sweetheart, I don't mind at all."


	2. Nolan

_Author's note: On a rainy Monday when I'm waiting for the phone to ring with news that my serviceman is safely back on home ground, writing about happy reunions is good distraction. So here you go, Tex and Nina, and just a little bit of Kat…_

 **Two - Nolan**

"Alone at last, huh?" Tex smiled at his wife as she came down the stairs into their living room. "How's our boy?"

"He went straight back to sleep." She told him. "I'm not sure he woke up enough to realise it was me carrying him. He'll probably wake up thinking he's still at Tom and Sasha's place with Jed."

Tex shook his head. "He knows you're home, Callaghan. He'll be excited to see his mom come the morning."

"I know." Nina reassured him, flopping down beside him on the couch. "I'm not worried about that."

"Then why this?" He reached out and ran a finger over the frown between her eyebrows.

"Same reason as you." She touched his forehead in return. "Kat."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "It's a hell of a thing that happened." He paused, "Was she really in love with that girl?"

"Honestly? I don't know." Nina said slowly, "We had a conversation a few days ago - God, it feels like a lifetime ago now - and I think she was really conflicted. They were definitely very close, or they had been, but..."

"Where does Diaz fit into all this?" Tex asked, "I mean, he came in and took over today, and she seemed kind of glad about that."

"She's still in shock, don't forget, but if I listen to my gut-" Nina suddenly smiled, "-Kat's in love with that boy. Might take her a while to work that out though." Her smile faded, "Especially after today."

"That why you were so insistent we came home and left them to it?"

"No, that was completely selfish." She said, "I wanted to see Jack."

He looked at her carefully, and slowly shook his head. "Can't kid a kidder, Callaghan." He pulled her closer, wrapping both arms around her. "You got the best instincts of anybody I know."

"Well there's a big compliment." She smiled against his chest, then suddenly grabbed his hand and placed it on the left side of her gently curved belly. "She's moving. You probably can't feel, but..."

He rubbed his hand in a gentle circle. "Maybe she can feel this."

"I hope so." Tears sprung into her eyes and Tex felt a sharp stab of concern. Nina hardly every cried.

"Callaghan?"

"I was homesick as hell the whole fucking time." She admitted, swiping at the tears almost angrily. "It's ridiculous. The end of the bloody world gave me the life I never imagined I'd have, and I love it so much that-"

Tex stopped her with a kiss, because he couldn't hold off a second longer. Maybe it made him selfish, what with everything that had happened, but he couldn't help being happy to have the love of his life back in his arms.

Nina didn't seem to mind, kissing him back sweet and slow as he held her close.

"Welcome home, darlin'" He murmured when they eventually broke apart.

"I love you, Kansas." She replied, "You and Jack and Kat and the baby." Then she smirked just a little, "But mainly you."

"Good to know." He kissed her again, this time slipping a hand under her shirt. "I can't tell you how much I love you, Callaghan."

"Don't worry Kansas," She gasped as he unsnapped her bra and slid his hand inside to caress her breast, "You can just show me."

 _Meanwhile, in Southern California…_

Kat Nolan wasn't a crier. Nuh uh. She'd made it through Parris Island without shedding a single tear. But today, after what she'd done, she just couldn't seem to stop. Even though it was the right decision, and by now she'd examined it from every angle, picked over it, analysed it, and it was still the right decision.

She was sitting on the ground, her back resting against the huge tyre of one of the Army vehicles, her thigh and shoulder warmed on one side by the heat of Ray Diaz's body.

"I can't stop." She said in frustration, blotting her face on her t-shirt for what felt like the thousandth time.

"It's a physical reaction, you'll stop when you're ready." Ray seemed unfazed, as usual, and it was starting to irritate her.

"Why did you come?" She blurted, regretting it as soon as the words left her lips.

He shrugged. "You're not ready to hear that yet." Typical Ray.

"Forget it!" She tried to rise, but he grabbed her arm and yanked her back down.

"You just killed your girlfriend, best friend, whatever. You are not ready to hear the things I have to say to you. Will you please just trust me on that."

She swallowed. Ray always made her feel like such a child compared to his imperturbability. "You're in the shit for coming here, aren't you?" She asked quietly, although she already knew the answer. "You don't need this."

He looked at her very seriously, taking her hand as though they were shaking on a deal. "You have no idea what I need, Kitkat. But one day soon, when you're ready, I promise I'm going to show you."


	3. Chandler

_Author's note: I am so sorry for the long delay in posting this final chapter! I could make lots of excuses, but instead I'll just say happy December, and I hope you enjoy! Please review if you do…_

 **Three - Chandler**

It was 6am, and Ashley was finally asleep, her head lolling against the couch cushions where she sat in between her parents.

Sam had gone to bed an hour ago, when Sasha and Ashley - mainly Ashley - had finished recounting the events in Cross River; and Jed had firmly prised the twins from Sasha's arms a little while after that and taken them up to the nursery, where both she and Tom knew he would spend the night on a rickety cot between their beds, watching over them, even if he pretended he was going to head back to his house across the yard once they were 'settled'.

If Sasha had been loath to relinquish the twins, she was even more worried about leaving Ash, whose adrenaline rush had carried her through hours of manic chattering. The teenager seemed none the worse for her recent experiences, but Sasha knew that it may suddenly hit her, and she didn't want to be far away when that happened.

Tom met her gaze and seemed, as he often did, to know exactly what she was thinking. "She'll sleep for a while, and we'll be close when she wakes up." He slowly stood, "But we need sleep ourselves."

Sasha knew he was right, and despite her misgivings, forced herself to her feet. Her own adrenaline high had run out hours ago, and it was only concern for Ash that had kept her going this long.

Between them, she and Tom gently repositioned Ashley so that her head was resting on a throw pillow, her feet up on the couch, and covered her with one of the twins' blankets. Then Tom took Sasha's hand in his and led her up the two flights of stairs to their attic bedroom.

It was the familiarity, she realised afterwards. That was what got her. The slightly rumpled bed, the closet door open showing uniforms and casual clothes, and shelves of tactical gear that possibly shouldn't be kept in the house. The view of the stars through the skylight windows, and the faint smell of Tom's soap emanating from their bathroom. And suddenly she was on the bed, curling into a ball, her chest heaving, as the enormity of what she had done, what she had nearly lost, crashed over her like a wave.

Tom blanketed her with his body as she sobbed, his arms wrapped tightly around her, murmuring in her ear as she cried it out. "It's okay, it's okay."

He'd done this for her once before, early in their renewed relationship, and just as it had then, his tenderness let her surrender.

"She was going to kill me." Sasha managed eventually, once her tears had slowed enough for her to catch her breath. "But I had to do it for Ash. I had to save Ash."

Tom had already heard the story from Ashley's lips, but what that could never have captured were the emotions Sasha was trying to explain now.

"I didn't think about it," She continued, "It wasn't even a choice. But if I'd never seen you again, if my babies had had to grow up without me..." And then she was sobbing again.

Tom was fighting against a lump in his own throat as he held her, processing just how close he had come to losing her.

"You did what any parent would do." He told her, his voice a little rough. "I would have done the same, and you wouldn't have blamed me for it."

She nodded slightly, and this time she raised her head, turning to look at him, her face pink and blotchy, her eyes bloodshot, and yet still the most beautiful woman in the world to him.

"I love you so much." She managed, and this time when he pulled her close again, his lips found hers, tasting salt in the moisture from her tears, but as she opened her mouth all he could taste was Sasha.

Sasha pressed close into Tom's body, feeling his warmth and strength in a different way now, the delicious buzz of wanting him helping to drive out the thoughts racing around her head.

"Tom..." She murmured, but he was already ahead of her, his fingers undoing the buttons of her shirt as hers tugged at his dark sweater, and in a flurry of kisses and with the benefit of dexterous fingers, they were quickly naked, her hands raking over his muscled back as her legs wrapped around his waist.

"Sash..." Tom breathed in her ear before nipping and nuzzling at the soft skin of her throat, his hands finding her ass, tilting her hips for him to slowly nudge his hardness against the slick heat between her thighs.

"Yes!" She affirmed, gasping as he slid slowly into her, somehow soothing her as much as he was arousing her.

"I love you," He murmured as he started to move, "I love you."

Tears were still sliding slowly down her cheeks as she met his gaze, but her eyes were somehow full of joy.

"We're so lucky." She whispered, and then her mouth met his, and her legs tightened around his waist, and before he knew it he was on his back and she was above him, taking the control she needed as he gripped her hips and let her set the pace, rocking on him as she threw her head back.

"Please!" She gasped, but his hand was already reaching between her legs, and as he touched her there she cried out. He lifted his hips and thrust up hard, and it was only moments before she fell forward and found his lips with hers as she shattered, and he followed close behind.

As they lay wrapped around each other, Sasha's tears had finally stopped completely.

"I'm so happy to be home," She said softly.

Tom smiled, but he didn't reply because he knew she wasn't done.

"But you know I'll do that again." She continued, "I realised out there that I can't... not."

"I know." He stroked her back slowly. "It's who you are. It's who I am too."

She nodded, and settled her head against his shoulder. There would be other missions, and other dangers, but for now there was home and family, and Tom's arms around her. And there was nowhere else she would rather be.

 **The End**


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